Forgotten Memories
by sweetsilverdusk
Summary: A memory long forgotten by Lizzie, but still resonates with Pennywise


A memory long forgotten by Lizzie, but still resonates with Pennywise

Sorry for delay in updates :/  
I've been under a lot of stress and lack of inspiration for writing recently, but I'm going to try and at least get one or two stories per month (one every two weeks is the goal).

So please enjoy this latest piece! :)

Lizzie had been sitting on the rocks by the stream in the barrens, surrounded by her doll and coloring materials.

School was nearly out and Lizzie was excited for the summer vacation to begin. There were more than plenty of opportunities that came with the upcoming break for her to escape to a world that she loved and adored, especially since she wasn't alone anymore.

She had befriended a strange clown over the past nine months and, with his silly demenore and wacky smile that spread across his face, it was someone she could talk to. A living being that she didn't need to create with her mind that no one else saw.

As a matter of fact, Lizzie had drawn several pictures of him in her sketch pad. Everything on the clown drawing was nearly detailed, impressive for a seven-year-old girl, especially his eyes. She drew him constantly, especially on the days when she felt she needed an extra boost to get through a day filled with bullying and tricks that should be played only on April Fool's.

The clown drawings were rough square-like circles with angles meant to be chins. Shades of red crayon made circles around his head, creating his signature ginger hair while blue crescents topped his eyes and small black inverted triangles were placed under the golden irises. A large red circle was placed in the center of the face, creating a large red clown nose that often squeaked when pressed. Sometimes, Lizzie would take a red crayon and draw a line under the red nose to make a smile on the clown's face. Other times, she would line a pencil line with red to show off the red lipstick that was on the clown's face.

The strange thing was that the features of the clown always remained the same. Not a single change was made, besides the mouth.

Lizzie was finishing up one of the numerous drawings when a strange noise alerted her of someone's presence. Her head popped up and looked in the direction of where the noise came from.

Not far from where Lizzie was perched was a tunnel entrance surrounded by overgrown weeds, roots, and moss that clung to the stone work that outlined the tunnel.

Now, it was no secret that the barrens was also the home to several entryways that led into the Derry sewer system. On some occasions, kids would sneak down into the barrens just to get into the tunnels and look through the entrances of the sewers to find strange objects. Every so often clothing was found, other times a missing shoe. There had been a few cases were strange rocks and unidentified bones found nearby.

It was also where a lot of missing children turned up dead.

Lizzie had always been weary of what lurked in the sewers, especially since she had overheard many of the city's people talking about several bodies of missing kids showing up around the area.

In early January, the body of ten-year-old James Wales was recovered from a snowbank by one of the entrances to the sewers, the child frozen solid with a missing arm pulled from the socket. In late March, just after St. Patrick's day, the body of five-year-old Susie Carpenter was found mauled at one of the entrances to the canal on the edge of Derry. And just last week, the body of seven-year-old Timmy Parker had been discovered across the span of five yards along the river, pieces of bloody limbs dropped here and there by something not human.

Although the reports of deceased children should have kept many of the locals protecting their remaining children from entering the area, Lizzie still came to the barrens like many other children.

It was a quiet place to be in, a perfect place for a loner of a girl like herself. The only thing she'd seen was the occasional squirrel, a few birds, and a butterfly every so often, creature that wouldn't be bothered by her nor bother her in return. Lizzie reasoned that as long as she was weary of her surroundings, she would be safe.

But, that was what she thought of before she heard the strange noises coming from the sewer entrance that she didn't even realize was nearby. However, curiosity got the better of the youngster and Lizzie closed her book and grabbed the doll before slowly making her way to the sewer entrance.

As she drew closer, the noises seemed distorted, like there were multiple voices speaking at once. Deep voices were calling, small sweet voices were cheering. Some were laughing, others were screaming.

Lizzie could feel fear creep into her heart as she pressed her doll closer to her chest, stepping backwards.

_"Lizzie..."_

She stopped at the sound of her name being called. Her eyes widened when the voices spoke again.

_"Lizzie... Come with us... Come play with us..."_

"Who's there?"

Then voices melded together as multiple names were called out from the darkness:

_"I'm Jason Monetta..."_

_"...Janice Rossette..."_

_"...Andrew Garlett..."_

_"...Tiffany Wallace..."_

_"...Sarah Beck..."_

Then, all was silent. Lizzie took a few more steps away before the voices began to speak again, freezing the small girl in place.

_"Don't you want to play with us? Don't you want to join the fun? Come join us, Lizzie... We'll show you how to float... WE ALL FLOAT DOWN HERE!"_

Lizzie screamed and turned on her heels, intending to run away, before flying face first in the chest of someone behind her.

Her body hit the ground, the doll falling a few inches away from where she landed. She rubbed her temples before apologizing softly to the person she ran into.

A dark familiar chuckle echoed around her as a familiar voice spoke, "You're fine, Lizzie-bean."

Lizzie's eyes snapped open and looked up at the person who was towering over her.

It was a clown in a multi-colored suit with bright orange pom poms down the center. A white and purple ruffled collar was around its neck, bringing the pale face into view. The skin was white as paper and the clown's eyes were a pleasant yellow-gold that was filled with familiar warmth. Each eyelid had pale blue powder covering the skin and little inverted triangles under the eyes, near it's cheeks. A bright red large rubber nose sat in the center of the clown's face, his lips painted the same shade.

A grey gloved hand reached out to help the young girl to stand. Lizzie grinned at the clown and took his hand, letting him help her stand up.

She wrapped her arms around the clown's waist, "Pennywise! I'm so glad to see you!"

The clown chuckled, ruffling the child's hair, "And who were you expecting, Lizzie-bean? The boogie man?"

"I-I thought I heard something coming from the sewer tunnels," Lizzie confessed, "It scared me so bad, Penny... I thought there was something that was going to get me."

The clown raised an invisible eyebrow before taking Lizzie's hand in his, "Well, I'm here now. Do you want to go look with me and see if there is something in there?"

"I'd rather not, What if there's bats or spiders in there?"

"Trust me when I say that those creatures are more afraid of you than you are of them."

Lizzie still looked unsure.

Pennywise chuckled and picked up the doll, handing it to her, "Would you feel better if I went in first and scoped it out?"

When the child nodded, Pennywise began to walk into the tunnel like he had been doing it all his life. The vines and roots of plants touched to the top of the clown's head and ginger hair as he made his way into the darkness.

For a moment, Lizzie considered going in after him, remembering how she had met him through one of the sewers drains back on the main streets.

_Does that mean Pennywise lived in the sewers?_

The clown appeared a few moments later, a bright red balloon in one hand and a bag of cotton candy in the other. A smile was painted across his face.

"Looks like my circus is back in town," The clown chuckled and offered the two objects to the youngster, who took them gratefully.

"Does that mean you'll be traveling back with them?"

"Oh no, Lizzie-bean," the clown took a spot atop one of the nearby rocks, "I like it here. So many children to play with and entertain. Nice folks that live around here are so trust-worthy. And you, Lizzie-bean."

The youngster looked surprised, "Me?"

"Oh yes, you're one of my favorites."

Lizzie giggled at the compliment before tying the balloon to her doll and opening the bag of cotton candy.

As the two split the bag of the fluffy sugar, Lizzie began telling Pennywise how she was excited for the upcoming summer break that would arrive soon.

"That means you can come down here and visit me whenever you like," the clown smiled.

"Yeah," then the child's smile fell, "but that would also mean Tyson and his goons would..."

It didn't need to be said out loud. Pennywise knew that Lizzie-bean was deathly afraid of her older brother. The boy had nearly killed her this past weekend when the clown stumbled upon the boys kicking and beating Lizzie to the point of unconsciousness. They were lucky to have walked away without being killed and dragged away by the monster that lived nearby, but the clown wouldn't say that out loud in front of a child that he was slowly beginning to care for.

Oh well, one day that trust this little girl had placed within him would break.

Pennywise rubbed the back of Lizzie's shoulders, comforting the child, "If you want to, I'll wait nearby so you won't have to worry about your brother or anyone coming to get you. We'll stay together down here when you come to play by the barrens, and if I can't play on a specific day, I'll be nearby to keep an eye out."

Lizzie's smile returned, "You will?"

When the clown nodded, Lizzie wrapped her arms around him in another giant hug.

"Now," Pennywise's grin suddenly turned sharp, "Do you want to go to the circus?"

Lizzie had fallen asleep in the clown's arms as he climbed the staircase and into his wagon.

It had taken almost all of his magic and powers to create an imaginary environment for the child to enjoy a "circus" setting.

Usually, when luring children away to their deaths, it was easy to capture them and devore them or place them into the dead sleep. But with Lizzie-bean, something about doing it didn't seem right. Even though Pennywise had known the child for seven months, there was something about her that was different from the other children.

Although she acted as a child should, it seemed to Pennywise that she had more knowledge than most kids her age should. Lizzie-bean was weary, confident, and a bit of a victim in a sense, but she was also brave, trust-worthy, and protective. Redeeming qualities of one like himself. He was even surprised when he saw her devour the entire contents of the bag that he created to look like cotton candy, but was no sugary sweet treat.

Perhaps there was more to this girl than meets the eyes

In the far back of the wagon was the performer's sleeping quarters, a place where the former Pennywise slept while he traveled with the other performers. But for the monstrous clown, it had become a make-shift hoarding room filled with dolls, puppets, and toys, all forgotten by the world above.

And for his little Lizzie-bean, it would be a great napping place.

Pennywise shuffled a few toys around before placing Lizzie upon the moth-eaten mattress, placing the familiar clown doll beside her sleeping form. He chuckled as he watched the young girl's arms reach for the doll and tuck it into her chest before a small thumb made its way into her mouth.

A gloved hand stroked her hair before he pulled a large red blanket out and gently rested it upon Lizzie's still form. The little girl sighed and the demented clown smiled, saliva dripping from his sharpened teeth.

She may be different, but that meant she would taste all the better when it was time.

"Soon, my little Lizzie-bean, you'll float with me like all the others."

Pennywise kissed the top of her head as Lizzie sighed before he pulled away and closed the door behind him, plunging the room into darkness.


End file.
